Tents can be very large and can be used for providing a shelter and environment for large gatherings and celebrations such as theatrical events, wedding receptions and conventions. For these large tents, a shell of the tent is typically supported by a frame. The frame typically includes structural members that combine to support the shell. Typically, the shell is formed from one or more fabric panels. The structural members may include vertical legs that define the walls of the tent and rafters that extend at an angle relative to the vertical legs toward a peak of the tent to define the roof. These peaked roofs include a gabled end.
In many large tents, the gabled portion of the end of the tents, i.e. the generally triangular portion of the end wall between the sides of the sloping roof, are typically formed by two generally right-triangular pieces of fabric that are secured in back to back relation. Typically, the two pieces are first coupled along their individual hypotenuses to the side of the roof and then secured to one another in the back-to-back relation.
One method to secure these two pieces in back-to-back relation was to use a zipper that secured the two abutting sides of the fabric panels to one another. Unfortunately, because the gabled portion of the end of the tent is above the legs of the tent, zipping these two panels together required assemblers to use a ladder to fully zip the abutting sides all the way to the peak of the gable. Not only does this increase danger in setting up the tent, but it makes setting up the tent more time consuming as well as requires assemblers to lug around a ladder.
The present invention provides an improved tent and an improved method of assembling a tent and particularly a tent having a gabled end.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides improved methods of connecting adjacent fabric panels of a tent that provides easer, quicker and safer assembly of a shell of a tent. Further, the invention provides a tent formed using such methods. More particularly, embodiments of the invention allow installers to get down from or stay away from the peak of the tent during assembly. Instead, installers are allowed to stay near or on the ground during assembly of portions of the tent which previously required an installer getting all the way to the peak.
In one form, the invention provides a method of assembling a tent including the steps of: supporting first and second fabric gable panels by a frame of a tent, and connecting the first and second gable panels to form a gable portion of the tent by connecting a first side of the first gable panel with a second side of a second gable panel with a connecting strip. By using a connecting strip, the user can remain on the ground or on a short ladder to connect the two panels rather than having to have access to a peak of the tent. Typically, the connecting strip will be a continuous structure that extends substantially the entire length of the first and second sides.
In a preferred form of the method, the step of connecting a first side of the first gable panel with a second side of a second gable panel includes first engaging only a portion of the first side with the connecting strip and then engaging a second equal portion of the second side with the connecting strip and then axially pushing the connecting strip simultaneously along both the first and second sides towards a peak of the tent.
In a further preferred form of the method, the connecting strip is flexible such that the method includes flexing the connecting strip out of a plane defined by the connected first and second fabric panels in the event that the connecting strip is longer than the distance from the bottom side of the fabric panels and the ground.
In another aspect, the invention provides a tent including a frame defined by a plurality of support members, and a fabric shell supported by the frame. The fabric shell includes first and second fabric panels. A first side of the first fabric panel being connected to a second side of the second panel by a connecting strip.
In a preferred embodiment of the tent of the present invention, the first and second sides of the fabric panels include keders and the connecting strip includes keder channels that engage the keders. This arrangement allows for easily sliding the connecting strip along the sides when assembling the tent.
Further yet, in an embodiment, the connecting strip is plastic and flexible, but sufficiently rigid to prevent buckling of the connecting strip while sliding it along the first and second sides of the two panels the connecting strip connects.
Other aspects, objectives and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
While the invention will be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, there is no intent to limit it to those embodiments. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.